need help with picture for avatar

[Kali]

I found and scanned a cool picture I want to use for my avatar but I obviously don't know what I am messing with - the instructions say it needs to be 3kb 48 x48 and either JPEG or GIF (which I don't have a clue what that means) mine is 518 KB 366 x 483 BITMAP.

Can I change that somehow?

Thanks in advance and please make any instructions step by step like for a 3 year old. (nevermind a three year old is probably better at computers than me!)

[bif]

1. You need software to resize it.

Like PhotoShop.

[Kali]

3. I have something called photo impression???

Or can I put the thing as a picture in the body of the post like I see all over? How do you do that?

[miss_kitty]

2. i made mine smaller on the microsoft photo editor...saved me spending

$600 on photoshop. :)

[Kali]

4. I have microsoft Picture it! 2000

is that the same thing? How did you do it?

[miss_kitty]

6. i don't have that

but if you have an edit capability, you want to find (usually in a drop-down menu) a function called 'Resize' you want to put the measurement units from 'inches' to 'pixels'. you enter 48 into one of the value fields...i cropped mine first and it was larger than 48x 48, (like 52x53) but the bytes were under. the uploading thinger reduced it to 48x48

[Kali]

7. I shrank it (somehow? - not even sure)

now I have a version that is 37 x 39 and 5.41 kb but it is still a bitmap image - how do I change that?

[miss_kitty]

9. you want to 'Save As'

and scroll to jpg or gif in the 'Save as Type' window...that may reduce the kbs, just fiddle with it

sorry i took so long getting back-i signed off for a while.

[Kali]

11. aha - that was it

I think I got it (this is the test) THANKS everybody!!!!

[Kali]

12. err maybe not

hmmm any ideas? It showed up when I finished in my profile place dang.

[Kali]

13. oh there it is

????? must be my computer going slow or something

[miss_kitty]

14. ahhhhhhhhhh KALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!

how appropriate!

[Kali]

16. heh heh

not enough detail, but closer than the Venus.

[Mr. McD]

5. Irfanview is freeware

It will do the job, you can download it at

http://www.irfanview.com/main_download_engl.htm

[Kali]

8. said I need intense intructions

What is Irfanview?

[Mr. McD]

15. Irfanview

Is a program that you can use to resize images and convert formats. It is very user friendly and it's free. It is one of the best image viewers around.

[LTR]

10. I resized it for you

Just kidding, just kidding.

Actually, I use Irfanview for everything. And it's very easy to use. Just open the image in IV, then go to 'resize' option, save as either a jpg or gif, and you're set!

You can also reduce the resolution as well, but you probably won't need to.